Toilet seat safety rails



Aug. 27, 1968 c. D. SPARLING TOILET SEAT SAFETY RAILS INVENTOR. QARf/VCfSAM//v Filed April 18, 1966 United States Patent O 3,398,410 TOILET SEAT SAFETY RAILS Clarence D. Sparling, 19995 Snowdon, Detroit, Mich. 48235 Filed Apr. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 543,414 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-254) This invention relates to improvements in toilet seat safety rails particularly adapted -for use in hospitals, in homes for the aged and in private homes to help patients or older persons to help themselves, and to prevent the likelihood of injuries resulting from accidental falls.

In the prior art, there have been a number of toilet seat safety rails for use by weakened or somewhat crippled persons in manipulating themselves onto and off from a conventional toilet, some of which were supported from the floor and others bolted to the toilet bowl. Such construction has been found to be somewhat nnsanitary, particularly due to the difficulties involved in the proper cleaning around oor supports or around the elements employed to anchor or fix the toilet seat safety rails to the toilet bowl.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the instant invention to provide toilet seat safety rails of simplified construction anchorable solely to the wall rearward and to each side of the toilet bowl and adequately braced on the toilet bowl with-out securement thereto, all providing rugged stable toilet seat safety rails which are readily and easily cleanable as well as all spaces therearound.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a View in perspective of a toilet seat safety rail embodying the invention shown in its installed position.

FIG. 2 is `an enlarged secitonal view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l showing a preferred type connection of the vertical transverse U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail to the main laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinal U-shaped side rails.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l showing a preferred type of anchorage of the said U-shaped side rails to the wall at the rear of the toilet fixture.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. l showing the resilient abutment of the horizontal base of the transverse U-shaped stabilizerspacer rail on the top rear portion of the toilet bowl.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the toilet seat safety rail of the invention consists of a pair of laterally spaced vertically disposed longitudinal generally yU-shaped side rails 11 connected together by a transversely disposed vertical U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail 12 having a pair of vertically disposed legs 120 and a horizontal base 121. Telescoped on the horizontal base 121 of the U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail 12 is one or preferably a pair of somewhat resilient rubber or artificial rubber bearing elements 13 preferably laterally spaced and so ylocated as to bear firmly onto the rear top ledge 140 of the toilet bowl 14 preferably between the toilet seat hardware and the toilet tank 16. The toilet seat 17 and its lid 18 are hingedly connected to the toilet bowl 14 by the said toilet seat hardware 15 in a conventional manner. In the event the toilet happens to be of a tankless type, the said bearing elements 13 of the stabilizer-spacer rail 12 will be positioned in a suitable place on the rearward portion of the toilet bowl 14 at a location yrearwardly of the toilet seat 17 and the toilet seat hardware 15.

As best shown in FIG. 3, an anchor bar 21 is secured ice to the free ends of each leg and 111 of the U-s'haped side rails 11 by such means as formed centrally threaded discs 19 and countersunk head screws 20. Each anchor bar 21 has a pair of apertures 210 therein through which are disposed countersunk head anchor screws 22 which enter a lead expendable anchorage element Z3 or the like. The said expandable anchorage elements 23 eX- pand responsive to the tightening of the anchor screws 22 securely within an aperture 24 provided therefor in the wall 25 rearwardly of the toilet bowl 14 and toilet tank 16. Obviously, anchorage means other than the formed and threaded anchor discs 19 and the lead anchorage elements 23 may be employed.

The upper ends of the vertical legs of the vertically and transversely disposed U-shaped stabilizerspacer rail 12 are suitably formed and secured to the bottom of the upper legs 110 of the IU-shaped side rails ,11 by such means as formed centrally threaded anchor discs 27 and countersunk heads screws 28 extending through suitable apertures 112 and 69 provided vertically in the said upper legs of the side rails 11, see FIG. 2.

A typical installation of a toilet seat safety rail 10` of the invention is illustrated in FIG. l in which the toilet bowl 14 is shown securely bolted or anchored to the door 30 by suitable bolts 31. It is of prime importance in making the installation that the upper leg 119 of each of the U-shaped side rails 11 be secured by its anchor bar 21 to the wall 25 first with bearing elements 13 on the horizontal base 121 of the U-shaped stabilizerspacer rail 12 positioned vertically on the toilet bowl 14 rearwardly of the toilet seat 17 and the toilet seat hardware 15. The lower leg 111 of each of the U-shaped side rails 11 is then deflected at its free end downwardly at D sufficient to spread the said lower leg 111 from the upper leg 110 thereof creating a downward pres-sure on the vertical U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail 12 so that the bearing elements 13 on the horizonatl base 120 thereof bear firmly on the rear top ledge of the toilet bowl 14 as best shown in FIG. 4. This will deiiect the lower leg 111 of each U-shaped side rail somewhat from its normal manufactured attitude with respect to the upper leg 110, and prestress the entire toilet seat safety rail 10 in a firm and solid position with both U-shaped side rails 21 firmly anchored at their free ends to the wall 25 and with the U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail 12 firmly bearing on the toilet bowl 14. The aforesaid prestressing, of course, is accomplished well Within the elastic limit of the tubing out of which the toilet seat safety rail 10 is manufactured. Thusly, a firm mounting and securement of the toilet seat safety rail 10 in its desired usable position is provided without door mounting, without bolts or clamps engaging the toilet bowl 14, and without connection to or modification of the toilet seat hardware 15.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention and the installation thereof has been disclosed and described herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

1. A toilet seat safety rail securable to a wall rearrwardly lof a toilet bowl having a toilet seat hingedly mounted thereon at the top rear portion thereof by conventional toilet seat hardware, said toilet seat safety rail comprising a pair of laterally spaced vertically disposed longit-udinal generally U-shaped side rails each including an upper rearwardly disposed horizontal leg and a lower diagonally rearwardly and downwardly disposed leg,

a vertical transversely disposed U-shaped stabilizerspacer rail including a pair of vertical legs and a horizontal base,

means rigidly connecting each vertical leg of said U- shaped stabilizer-spacer bar to and in depending relationship from an upper horizontal leg to one said U-shaped side rails,

resilient bearing means on said horizontal base of said 'U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail positioned to bear on the toilet bowl rearwardly of the toilet seat hardware,

an anchor bar rigidly connected to the free ends of each leg of said U-shaped side rails,

means securing the anchor bar at the free ends of the upper horizontal legs of the U-shaped side rails to said Wall with the resilient bearing means `on the base of said U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail bearing on said toilet bowl, and

means securing the anchor bar yat the free ends of the lower diagonally rearwardly and downwardly disposed legs of said U-shaped side rails to said wall in a position deflected downwardly from its normal attitude whereby to pre-stress the entire toilet seat safety rail in a rm and solid position with respect to said toilet bowl and with only the resilient bearing means of said U-shaped stabilizer-spacer rail 5 bearing solidly upon said toilet seat bowl.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,328,235 8/1943 Setzler 4-185 10 2,511,756 6/1950 Wallace 4 -185 2,644,954 7/1953 Jumper 4-185 D. 173,415 11/1954 Du Drie 4--185 2,817,095 12/1957 Jeffries 4-185 2,885,690 5/1959 Scott 4-185 15 D. 188,175 6/1960 Craig 4-185 FOREIGN PATENTS 829,836 3/1960 Great Britain.

20 LAVERNE D. GBIC-ER, .Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOILET SEAT SAFETY RAIL SECURABLE TO A WALL REARWARDLY OF A TOILET BOWL HAVING A TOILET SEAT HINGEDLY MOUNTED THEREON AT THE TOP REAR PORTION THEREOF BY CONVENTIONAL TOILET SEAT HARDWARE, SAID TOILET SEAT SAFETY RAIL COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED VERTICALLY DISPOSED LONGITUDINAL GENERALLY U-SHAPED SIDE RAILS EACH INCLUDING AN UPPER REARWARDLY DISPOSED HORIZONTAL LEG AND A LOWER DIAGONALLY REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED LEG, A VERTICAL TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED U-SHAPED STABILIZERSPACER RAIL INCLUDING A PAIR OF VERTICAL LEGS AND A HORIZONTAL BASE, MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING EACH VERTICAL LEG OF SAID USHAPED STABILIZER-SPACER BAR TO AND IN DEPENDING RELATIONSHIP FROM AN UPPER HORIZONTAL LEG TO ONE SAID U-SHAPED SIDE RAILS, RESILIENT BEARING MEANS ON SAID HORIZONTAL BASE OF SAID U-SHAPED STABILIZER-SPACER RAIL POSITIONED TO BEAR ON THE TOILET BOWL REARWARDLY OF THE TOILET SEAT HARDWARE, AN ANCHOR BAR RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE FREE ENDS OF EACH LEG OF SAID U-SHAPED SIDE RAILS, MEANS SECURING THE ANCHOR BAR AT THE FREE ENDS OF THE UPPER HORIZONTAL LEGS OF THE U-SHAPED SIDE RAILS TO SAID WALL WITH THE RESILIENT BEARING MEANS ON THE BASE OF SAID U-SHAPED STABILIZER-SPACER RAIL BEARING ON SAID TOILET BOWL, AND MEANS SECURING THE ANCHOR BAR AT THE FREE ENDS OF THE LOWER DIAGONALLY REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED SIDE RAILS TO SAID WALL IN A POSITION DEFLECTED DOWNWARDLY FROM ITS NORMAL ATTITUDE WHEREBY TO PRE-STRESS THE ENTIRE TOILET SEAT SAFETY RAIL IN A FIRM AND SOLID POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID TOILET BOWL AND WITH ONLY THE RESILIENT BEARING MEANS OF SAID U-SHAPED STABILIZER-SPACER RAIL BEARING SOLIDLY UPON SAID TOILET SEAT BOWL. 